If You're A Virgo, Here's The Poetry Collection You Should Read
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With living such interior lives, Virgos are often seen as the most detail-oriented —and most critical — members of the zodiac, especially when it comes to themselves, warns Cosmopolitan. What may start as modesty can take a sharp turn downward.
This is why Virgos might seek solace from books and poetry. But before you try telling us poetry is too messy for you, Virgo, hear us out. Like Co-Star Astrology points out, when you have Virgo as your sun, moon, or rising sign, expressing yourself is hard for you because of your introverted nature. Talking on the phone is probably your worst nightmare.
Maybe this is why so many famous writers have been born under Virgo, writers such as Mary Shelley, Roald Dahl, and "We Should All Be Feminists" writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie published her first poetry collection, "Decisions," at the age of 20, per The Famous People.
Especially as the world gets messier, things can feel even more overwhelming than usual for Virgos. Losing yourself in analyzing something is probably a guilty pleasure for this reason. A sign Co-Star Astrology says is known for their intelligence, open-mindedness, and wanting to bear witness to other people's problems, of course, it makes sense that we suggest you hit pause on your day and lose yourself in poetry for a little while. Whether it's reading or listening to poetry, here are three collections that might provide external inspiration to help you finally organize your chaotic internal world.
If your sun is in Virgo, Mary Oliver's Felicity will feed your soul
The Virgo zodiac is associated with the earth element with all of its stability and dependability. Of the three earth signs, Virgo arrives at the end of the zodiac season to "survey all that has been built and give it meaning," per Refinery 29. This is why Virgos make such great writers and editors and why, if you're looking for a poetry collection to read, you should look into fellow Virgo Mary Oliver.
After publishing her first poetry collection at the age of 28, Oliver went on to win both a National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize (via The New Yorker). But despite these achievements, she's mostly written off — something The New Yorker suggests is due to her poetry's focus on nature and simple writing style. But, like with any Virgo sun, there's so much more going on beneath the surface of Oliver's work than just pretty words about love or nature. In fact, The New Yorker pointed out that Oliver's work more often has to do with the violence of nature than the beauty of it.
If you're new to Mary Oliver, Book Riot suggests starting with "Devotions," which includes selected poems from throughout Oliver's entire career. However, we also suggest picking up "Felicity," a collection Publisher's Weekly calls an "ecopoetic, transcendentalist guidebook for the wandering soul." We know you're often trapped inside your own head, Virgo, but Oliver's work can be a guide out.
Moon in Virgo? You need to read Obit by Victoria Chang
If the moon falls in Virgo on your astrological birth chart, you've probably been accused more than once of being too stuck in your own head. According to Cafe Astrology, this is because people with Virgo moons prefer calm and quiet but live in a world that's decidedly not. Trying to make sense of the chaos is futile, and lunar Virgos often will blame themselves for not being able to fix the world's problems.
Maybe this is why Stars Like You believes lunar Virgos prefer the material and tangible to the abstract. If you can get your hands on something, write it out, maybe then you can bring order to the constant thunderstorm of thoughts. In Victoria Chang's "Obit," she explores grief and tries to make sense of the abstract ripple effect of death (via Los Angeles Review of Books). While the idea might be uncomfortable, trust us: "Obit" is worth picking up.
As Kenyon Review points out, Chang's "Obit" is a collection of obituaries for people, ideas, and things. When Maggie Smith recommended the collection to Oprah Daily, she also touched on the poem's focuses, adding that Chen explores the grief surrounding the loss of home, privacy, and even the future. The obituary style of these poems should also soothe what Allure calls lunar Virgos' need for structure while inspiring you to stick your toe into the mess of your own emotions.
If you're Virgo Rising, read Blythe Baird's If My Body Could Speak immediately
While a lot of attention is given to the placement of the sun in your astrological birth chart, your rising or ascendant sign is arguably the most important placement. According to Cafe Astrology, the energy from your rising sign can influence your initial reactions to things. If you have Virgo ascending, you might be extra sensitive to body discomfort and need to spend a lot of time improving your mind-body connection.
The key to this is to focus more on your mind. Virgos' ability to focus while also being extremely critical can, and does, turn inward — especially for Virgo ascendants, warns Astro Style. This is why we recommend reading Blythe Baird's "If My Body Could Speak," especially if you're struggling with an eating disorder or body image issues.
As Emily Mellows writes in her review of the collection for Nouse, the strongest poems in Baird's "If My Body Could Speak" cover Baird's own battle with anorexia. Through poems like "When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny," Mellows says Baird's poetry explores the reasons Baird didn't get help for her eating disorder sooner and works to burn eating disorder myths to the ground.
"If My Body Could Speak" is a "searing, soaring, and heartbreaking" exploration of softness, feminism, and the importance of owning your identity, no matter how many facets there are (via Bookshop). Baird's written the reminder every Virgo ascendant needs: you deserve help too.